Not Another Soldier (11 page)

Not that I care what he thinks.

Because I don’t, right?

Ignoring the little skip in my heart as I contemplate
him, I clutch my shopping bag and walk briskly up the street. I need to get
home ASAP if I want to get the lasagna done in time. A slight prickle dances up
my spine and I glance around. A mom with a stroller goes past on the opposite
side of the road and there’s a woman jogging up ahead, so I have no idea why
I’m feeling antsy. I guess the thought of going back to the apartment is making
me nervous.

I round the corner and freeze. The skinhead from the
hospital. I suck in a sharp breath as my mind seems to stop functioning. He
appears surprised too but recovers quicker than I do and snatches my arm. I’m
yanked against the brick of the apartment building and my head jars, sending a
piercing stab of pain through my skull. It disorients me enough so that he
manages to press his whole body into me. He towers over me, breath acrid as he
closes his fingers around my neck.

“Try anything and I’ll snap your neck,” he hisses.

My natural reflex to kick out disappears and I sag.
Memories of alcohol tinged breath and my husband’s eyes turning dark assail me
and my head swims. I claw at the hand when he presses harder. As I glance around,
I realize he’s forced me into the alleyway and no one will see me. The pressure
on my neck grows and my heart races. He could easily kill me if he wanted to. I
don’t know if he does, but he’s big and intimidating enough for me to believe
his threat.

I keep trying to tug at his fingers, just to loosen
the force, but it makes no difference. “What do you want?” I rasp out.

“Where is it?”

“Where’s what?”

“The stash.”

“What stash?”

“Don’t mess with me, bitch. You must know where it is.
We checked your old place and there was nothin’.” Skinhead gives my neck a
little extra squeeze, makes me squeak, just to add emphasis to his words.

“I swear I don’t know what you’re talking about.” My
voice is barely a whisper now and I feel light-headed. I just want to breathe
but that relentless grip on my throat hardly lets me suck in anything. It must
be drugs, right? A stash? That’s what he means. Except I would have known if
there was drugs in my house, surely? Though I didn’t know as much as I thought.
But I would have found it when I moved for sure. And if they—whoever the fuck
these guys are—hadn’t found the drugs, then why did they assume I would have?

“Big Johnson ain’t a patient man and he’s out of
pocket big time. I don’t know what you plan to do with it, but he ain’t going
to be happy if you don’t hand it over.” He grins. “I’ll take great pleasure in
killing you, sweet thing.”

My eyes must be as wide as they can get. His sinister
expression and the agonizing grip convinces me he’s telling the truth. A
shudder wracks me as I consider what he might do. I stop clawing at his hand
and drop my arm to my side.

“Please don’t hurt me. I don’t know anything. Really,
I don’t. I only just found out Rob was dealing in drugs. If I find something,
I’ll… I’ll hand it over. I promise.”

Skinhead seems to deliberate this for a moment and the
hold on my neck loosens very briefly. I draw in a strong breath and slip my
hand into the carrier bag I’m still clutching. My fingers close in on the wine
bottle and in one move, I yank it out and swing it at his head.

It smashes and alcohol splashes over me, the smell
powerful. Who knows if I knock him out but he staggers back and I shove both
palms against his chest. Flinging the bag aside, I sprint for my apartment
building. I’m there in moments, out of breath after my run and my lungs still
ache from the sudden intake of air, but I don’t pause. I jab the code into the
door and don’t even glance over my shoulder to see if I was followed.

I dash up the stairs and fumble retrieving my keys. It
takes me several tries to get the door open with my new locks but I finally
make it and slam the door shut behind me. A man steps through from the kitchen
and I scream, flattening my back against the door before I realize who it is.

“Nick!”

His eyes widen and he hastens over, snatching my arms.
“Shit, Sienna, what the hell happened?”

“How did you get in here?” I exclaim.

“I got the locksmith to give me a spare key.” He
fingers my cotton tank top. “What’s this? Are you hurt?”

I glance down at my top and realize it’s covered in
red wine. “No… it’s just wine. Why have you got a spare key? I didn’t say you
could have one.”

He’s still holding me and I’m almost glad. My legs are
so shaky, I’m not sure they’ll hold me up.

“Never mind about the key,” he snaps. “What’s going
on, babe? Why are you covered in wine and looking like you’ve just been scared
to death?” He curses softly under his breath as his gaze alights on my neck.
“Sienna, what the fuck?” He skims the pads of his fingers over my neck and I
stiffen.

Terror pounds through me as Nick’s face seems to merge
into the skinhead’s and then Rob’s. “Please don’t,” I say weakly before I pass
out.

Nick

My blood runs cold and I grab her. Sienna’s face is
insanely white and the marks on her neck stand out in stark contrast. I hold
her limp body for a moment, not quite sure what to do, or what the hell just
happened. I was kinda excited to be back here. I’ve called in a few favors and
put in some leave, and I was looking forward to more time with Sienna. Even if
the circumstances aren’t exactly the best. But a guy’s got to take what he can,
right? She can’t resist me forever and I know I affect her. Her reaction to me
being shirtless was enough for any man’s ego.

I put a hand to her neck and feel her pulse. It’s slow
but steady. What the fuck did I just do to make her pass out? My heart is
hammering pretty hard. I’m beginning to doubt if I even should have left her
alone today. I could have had one of the guys bring down my stuff.

Scooping her up, I carry her into the bedroom and lie
her down. Hands on my hips, I study her for a moment, still at a loss as to
what to do. Some soldier I am. Trained to deal with anything but put a fainting
woman in my arms and I’m lost. I think I’d rather be shot at again than have
Sienna pass out on me.

Determined to do something, I snatch a cloth from the
bathroom and dampen it. I settle on the bed and dab her forehead, willing her
to come round. Dread twists my insides. Seriously, hasn’t the woman been
through enough lately? Those marks on her neck… they’re coming up clearer now
and they look like fingerprints. Who the fuck would want to strangle Sienna?
The dread turns to burning anger and I suck in a few breaths to calm it. The
last thing she needs is to wake up to see me so furious. I tell myself I’ll
hunt down whoever did it and make them regret ever laying a hand on her. This
calms my temper a little as I imagine the grim satisfaction I’ll get from
pounding my fist into whoever did this. Water trickles down her smooth cheeks
and I catch the drops with my fingertips.

“Babe,” I call softly.

She drags open her eyes and slowly focuses on me.
“Stop,” she repeats and pushes my hand away. She struggles to sitting.

I’m still on the edge of the bed, my jeans rubbing
against her legs. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, my head still feels foggy but I’m okay.”

She puts a hand to it and glances in my eyes again.
There’s fear there. Is she scared of me?

My jaw is tense, but I make an effort to keep my eyes
soft, and I fist the cloth tightly in my hand. “What’s happened, Sienna? How
did you get that mark on your neck?”

“Someone… the man from the other night… tried to
attack me.
Did
attack me.” She curls her legs up and clutches her arms
around them. “I had a bottle of wine and I smashed it on his head.”

I release a tilted smile at her bravery but it doesn’t
work to prevent the anger building inside me. “Damn, I never should have left
you alone.”

“You can’t watch me forever. Anyway, I know why these
guys are after me now.” Her voice comes out croaky. “They’re after a stash of
drugs. This guy—Big Johnson, he said—thinks I have them.”

“Christ.” I drag a hand through my hair. I inch
cautiously up toward her, sliding along the bed until I’m sitting next to her.
“Can I look at your neck?” She nods but her body goes rigid as I brush aside
her hair. She’s terrified. “I’m not going to hurt you,” I murmur.

She drops her gaze. “I know.” Tears well in her eyes,
tugging my heart.

“Hey,” I soothe and skim my fingertips over her neck.
I’m not quite sure what to do now. I want answers. I need answers. But I need
to reassure Sienna first.  “Hey,” I repeat, inching closer and closing the
gap between us.

My hand ends up pressed under her hair and I press her
forehead flat against my chest. She loops a hand around my neck and I have to
concentrate on not getting turned on when her slender body lines up with mine.

“No one will hurt you again, I promise.”

She nods against me. I need to get her out of her
wine-stained clothes but I can feel her heart hammering heavily still so I
settle on just holding her. I listen as her breaths slow and consider my next
move.

We need to find these damned drugs and put an end to
this. I can’t see her that scared ever again. The need to take action, to tear
this guy’s throat out burns deep in my gut but I force myself to relax. I kiss
her hair and wait. Sienna doesn’t need me running around the city, baying for
blood, especially when we still know virtually nothing about who’s after her.

Eventually she falls asleep. Whatever happened clearly
shocked the hell out of her to make her so tired. But hopefully she’ll feel
better when she wakes up. I draw my tingling arm carefully out from underneath
her, wincing when she mutters. Thankfully, she stays asleep and I climb off the
bed and tuck the sheets around her. I take a moment to observe her and swipe a
hand through my hair.

So peaceful and beautiful. Her lips are parted and I
hear each slow breath. It soothes away a little of my rage to see her safe and
exquisite. A tiny curl of auburn hair trails down her neck and her hands are
tucked by her side. She’s still covered in wine but I can’t bring myself to
risk waking her by taking her top off. Not that I don’t itch to touch that
insanely gorgeous body. I shake my head at myself.
Not
what I need to be
thinking about right now.

Maybe if I stare at her long enough it will erase the
image of her terror from my mind. I have this God-awful feeling
I
scared
her. I don’t know if it was just that this attacker terrified her out of her
mind or what, but something feels off. I definitely startled her but surely
she’d be relieved to see me. I sure as hell would never have expected Sienna to
faint in my arms. I mean, the woman’s a nurse. She’s not exactly the type who’s
prone to fainting.

I have to do something. Turning on my heel, I take a
quick peek at her over my shoulder and stride into the kitchen. I debate the
coffee pot but really I need a beer. Or a few. It’s been a tense few days.
Actually a tense few years. Wanting your best friend’s wife does take its toll.
I’ve kept myself busy with other girlfriends—even hoped they’d take her place
in my heart—but none have been able to match up to Sienna. Whatever happens, I
need to keep her safe in the hopes that soon she’ll recognize we are meant to
be together. I have no doubts whatsoever she’s meant for me. You can’t know a
person as well as I do Sienna and still love them after all these years if
she’s not The One. Yeah, it’s sappy, but I’ve never been one to kid myself. If
I had to I’d write poetry and… I don’t know… sing songs and shower her with
roses and trips to Paris or whatever. Sienna makes a man want to do anything
just to be with her.

After helping myself to a coffee, I grab her laptop
from the bookcase and settle on the couch. Thank fuck for Google. I flip it
open and power it up, tapping impatiently at the mouse pad. Big Johnson she
said. Well, Mr. Big Johnson may be some big criminal but even he can’t keep
himself off the internet. It might not help but at least I’ll know what I’m up
against.

After a few searches for Johnson and drugs and
Glenwood, I finally come up with several news articles. Mr. Harvey Johnson of
Johnson Shipping. It seems the cops have been after him for a while but have
had no luck. The last case to go to court was thrown out. On paper, the guy is
just a legitimate businessman, working in the shipping industry. Problem is, it
looks like he’s pretty rich and able to bribe his way out of most situations. A
chill races up my spine. It doesn’t bode well for us.

I find a picture of him on one of the local paper’s
websites of him coming out a courtroom, and stare at it for a while.
Grey-haired, pretty respectable looking. Doesn’t stop me from hating him. Not
only has he threatened my girl but he’s ruined her life. I don’t know… Rob was
probably already screwed before he started dealing, but I can’t help feeling
this guy just pushed Rob over the edge. All the secrets, the illegal
activities, must have driven Rob over. Maybe that’s why he drank so much? I
could kick myself for not seeing it sooner or taking action. I wish I knew what
I could have done. Rob wouldn’t listen to reason. He seemed to think it was all
a great laugh.
Life’s short
, he’d say.
Lighten up, Nick
.

I get that. I live with the proof of that on my leg
and the memory of those three guys who died. I’ll never forget any of them but
they did teach me to keep going, to keep persevering and to be the best I can
be. Which is why I won’t ever give up on Sienna. I want to be the best man I
can be for her.

Blowing out a breath, I shut the laptop and dig out my
cell from my pocket. I scroll through and find Ginge’s number. If anyone has
any idea just how deep Rob was, it will be him. It’s pretty bad when the guy
you used to think of as your best friend is a total stranger in so many ways. I
honestly didn’t think Rob had gotten this deep.

“Yep.” Ginge’s voice comes through.

“Hey, Ginge.”

“Hey, man, heard you put in some compassionate. Is
everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine.”

“Sure? I’ve got your back if you need anything.”

“I’m fine, but I do need to pick your brain.”

“Shoot, man.”

“You know that kid who got kicked out? The one who
named Rob as his dealer? Do you know anything more about that?”

I hear a slow exhale. “What’s going on, Nick? Why are
you digging into this? Isn’t it better to leave it? Rest in peace and all
that.”

I understand Ginge’s reservations. Protect our own.
It’s kind of an instinctual thing. You train and work in such close quarters
that your brothers-in-arms are practically closer than family. You protect each
other, in life and in the field. But sometimes, they don’t deserve protecting.
I’m not sure Rob deserved any of it.

“Sienna’s in trouble. And it’s linked to Rob’s
dealing.”

“Shit… Sienna, of course. I should have known.”

I hear the smile in his voice. Ginge is a smart guy
and probably one of the only ones to figure out how I felt about Sienna. Yeah there
was gossip about us, but mostly from the wives. And as long as Sienna was okay
with it, it didn’t matter to me. As far as I was concerned, I’d put up with
anything to be by her side, supporting her, and Rob trusted me. In fact, Rob
undoubtedly thought I’d keep away any other potential predators. But still, I’d
never have done anything anyway. Not like that. It sounds corny but Sienna’s
too special for the type of sordid behavior that comes with an affair.

With a groan, I shake my head. “Look, you got any info
for me or not? I’m going in blind here and I don’t like it.”

“I don’t know much to be honest, Nick. The guy said
Rob dealt in coke. I don’t know where he got it from, only that he used to meet
with someone in the city. Rob was pretty good at keeping it all under wraps, as
you well know.”

I sigh. “Yeah, I know. Truth is, I had no idea all
this was going down. I knew he was messed up but to go down this path… Geez.”

“You know Rob. You couldn’t have talked him out of
it.”

“Yeah I know Rob.” Rubbing my hand across the back of
my neck, I correct myself, “
Knew
Rob. Just do me a favor and ask around.
I’m stuck on what to do about this right now, but the more I know, the better
I’ll feel about all this.”

“No worries, man. Just keep your head low, okay?”

“Will do.” I hear the rustle of sheets and straighten.
If Sienna’s waking, I want to be by her side. “I’ve gotta go. Cheers, man.”

“See ya.”

I jab the end call button and leave my phone on the
couch arm. When I stroll into Sienna’s room, she’s stirring and she rolls onto
her back and her gaze connects with mine. I’m edgy, my pulse beating
erratically. I’m not sure what to do. Unspent adrenaline reels through me. With
everything I’ve learned and everything she’s been through, I’m all geared up
for a fight.

The slightest flash of fright flares in her eyes,
taking the wind out of me. Fuck. She’s been scared to death and I’m looking
like I’m ready to tear down the apartment. Slowly, softly, I approach.

“You okay, babe?”

“I don’t know,” she admits quietly.

I climb on the bed and glance into her eyes. God, I
want to make it all okay. I’m just not sure how to. I get a little lost when it
comes to Sienna sometimes. I want to feel cocky and confident again. I want to
figure out exactly where to push and when to hold back. Is this a moment to
push or to wait?

But there’s something in her gaze that makes the
decision for me. The fear is gone and her eyes are smoky. Maybe she’s suffering
from a delayed adrenaline rush too but I’m not going to question it. I’m going
to push and push until I’m all the way in her heart. I’d grin if I wasn’t so
scared for her. Poor girl doesn’t stand a chance.

***

Sienna

The little skip, skip of my heart is slightly
sickening. How can I go from scared to… to so
needy
in less than ten
seconds? The sight of Nick on my bed seems to short circuit my brain. I’m
pretty sure I can feel explosions going on behind my eyes. Memories of being
pressed against him, of him
inside
me, combust in my mind.